The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 137: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

124 incident took place ; and a cry of terror ascended from that depth. Then the next moment the gold-beater was seen rushing up the steps as if he were demented—his hair standing on end—his countenance ghastly pale—his lips white—his eyes rolling with horror. oe You fool, you ! muttered his wife, clutching him violently by the arm, and giving him a savage shake: “ you'll make yourself heard yet before you have done !” It must be observed that Barney the Burker had not let the corpse fall through any access of panio-terror—but merely that he might rush up- stairs and ascertain the cause of that strange sweeping sound which had reached the ears of those in the - But on opening the door and listening, he found that all was still. “Give me a light,” he said, “and I'll go over the house just for your saytisfaction : cos why, none of you seem able to do it for yourselves.” A candle was immediately supplied him by one of the lads; and the instant he appeared in the ground-floor passage with that light, the rushing sound was heard again—and an enormous cat which had been crouching on the mat, sprang up the stairs to the higher storeys. The Burker gave a chuckling laugh ; and descending to the scullery, closed the door, saying, “It’s on’y a great big black cat that’s got into the house.” “It’s the people’s at the beer-shop,” exclaimed Bab Smedley. “ But isn’t i¢ strange,” asked the gold-beater, who was shuddering all over, “that the brute should cut about the house like that? Doesn't it seom as if it knew what had been done ?’—and “Well, I des say there's summut like instink in the affair,” said the Burker coolly: “ but as cats can’t speak, they can’t tell no tales—and so we needn't bother ourselves any more about the matter. Come, Jack, take a drop of brandy; and don’t make such a fool of yourself as you seem to be doing. Why, I can’t make out what’s come “All ready down below,” responded Bab : ing herself to her husband, she said savagely, “There, toss off that brandy, and be a man! I'm ashamed of you !” The gold-beater drank the raw spirit which his “Come now, my boys, and lend a hand below,” Burker : “ you must ’custom yerselves to got familiar with stiff ’uns. You come too, Jack.” and the Burker descended with a candle—the two Scotts readiness and A pickaxe were in the pit—a hole was speedily dug, sufficiently large to receive the corpsee—a quantity of quicklime was thrown upon it—the earth was eshovelled back—it was well flattened down, s0 as to make the bottom of the subterranean level—and thus the work was accomplished. The trap-door was closed—the carpet was drawn over it—the table was restored to its place—quan- ny re THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. wretches caroused above the spot to which their of a few minutes, by means of the back part the premises and the narrow alley by the side of the “You behaved like a fool to-night,” said Bab Smedley to her husband, when they were at length alone together in their own chamber. “I can’t tell what it was that came over me when we were all three together at Ais deor,” said the gold-beater. “ And then the affair in the vault was horrible enough ! To Dave thst corpee come tumbling down upon one was make the hair stand on end. And mind you, Bab this particular night than on the occasion of any — previous deed of iniquity. “T teil you what, Bab,” said the gold-beater, looking somewhat nervously around the room, and in the half-hushed voice which denoted a certain inward appalled feeling : “I don’t hke that affair of the cat—there was su in it—it was the animal’s instinct !” “Now, will you have done?” demanded Bab i (SOL (C DOO Col